How to Prepare and Pour Your Slip for Doll Casting

Preparing your slip is easy. No matter what you use - composition or porcelain - it has to be prepared before you can use it. A pitfall is that lumps and bubbles ruin the mixture.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dollmaking Supplies
• Garden Stakes
• Old Newspapers
• Heavy-duty Rubber Bands
• Electric Drill/assorted Bits

Preparing the Slip

1. Add the appropriate thinner to the porcelain or composition slip if required.

2. Place a paint paddle on a drill and slowly start mixing at a low speed. Move the paddle up and down and in circles.

3. Speed up gradually as the mixture becomes smoother.

4. Continue until the slip is the consistency of very thick and smooth chocolate milk with no lumps or air bubbles.

5. Allow the mixture to rest fifteen minutes to allow air bubbles to come up. Now you're ready to pour.

Pouring Your Molds

6. Prepare your molds by cleaning them and removing dust and debris with a large mop head brush.

7. Rubber band or belt your molds closed.

8. Place your molds on newspaper with the pour hole up.

9. Pour the prepared mixture into your molds carefully.

10. Fill to the top of the pour hole.

11. Wait about 15-20 minutes for a casting to reach its proper thickness.

12. Pour the excess liquid back into the container.

13. Turn the mold hole side down.

14. Place it on two 2-inch by 2-inch by 6-inch wood shims (or tomato stakes). This allows more of the excess to drain onto the paper.

15. Allow the mixture to dry for about two hours. Now your doll is in the leather stage.

Tips & Warnings

• You may allow composition to dry overnight in the mold.
• Make sure there are no drafts.
• Make sure your casting is not too thick; if it's too thick, it can crack.
• Follow the directions on the product container for the preferred additives. Too much thinner or the wrong thinner can "taint" the slip and make good castings impossible.